Observations from Iraq, Iran, Israel, the Arab world and beyond

IRAN: Hamas has secret anti-Israel weapon in Gaza, cleric says

Hamas possesses a “new weapon” to face Israeli armor in case Israel decides upon a ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, a senior Iranian official and ranking cleric told worshippers in Tehran today.

According to former Iranian president Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of Iran's powerful Expediency Council, the advanced weapon would allow the Palestinian militant group to target Israeli tanks “from a long distance.”

It also suggests that Hamas may have stored up the same advanced, portable high-tech anti-tank weapons Hezbollah used to disable Israel's Merkava tanks during the 2006 war between the Shiite militant group and the Jewish State.

In his Friday prayer sermon, Rafsanjani said Hamas fighters had the ability to beat Israeli in the battlefield:

“Zionists are vulnerable ... as the Zionists are weak by nature and rely only on material things while Palestinians are seeking to be martyrs and are ready for self sacrifice. ... Hamas missiles are homemade and simple and Hamas will not run out of them and they can produce more.”

Rafsanjani stuck a sensitive chord for Shiite Muslims worldwide by comparing Israel to Yazid, the ancient ruler who is believed to have killed Imam Hossein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and one of the venerated figures of Shiite Islam.

Shiite Muslims around the world are currently commemorating Ashura, a 10-day morning period during which they lament every year the death of Hossein.

"The Israelis are targeting mosques, houses and everywhere they like with laser-guided rockets from jet fighters,” he said.

Earlier, an Iranian official continued the government's harsh criticism of so-called moderate Arab regimes, mainly Egypt, who some accuse of acquiescing to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.